The 15th Belfast Media Festival (BMF) 2024 entitled ‘Creativity in Motion’ will take place on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 November 2024 at the MAC Belfast, in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen and BBC Northern Ireland.
From Irish language film success of the year KNEECAP to BBC Director General Tim Davie in conversation with John Campbell; and Rugby Legend turned TV punter Tommy Bowe and Actor Martin McCann talking to industry leaders about everything from games to film-making and artificial intelligence to podcasts, backed up with workshops, skills training and panel discussions, there are more than 40 sessions in this year’s BMF with something for everyone in the creative industries to enjoy.
Jennifer Johnston, Chair of BMF said: “This year’s festival promises to be a celebration of all screen-based media with high profile speakers from across film, TV and games aiming to excite, refresh and inspire attendees at all levels in their careers. It's lovely to have the opportunity to hear from more leading lights from our industry in person and to meet our future generation of storytellers.”
Highlights include:
WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2024
· Opening Keynote Speech: Belfast dramatist and novelist Ronan Bennett in conversation with screenwriter Declan Lawn. (10 to 11 – Downstairs Theatre)
· Publishing Games in 2024 (and why self- publishing is the future) Simon Smith, a veteran of the video game industry will explore recent trends and discuss how the landscape of game publishing is changing. (11 to 12 – The Factory)
· Are You being Heard? – Women’s Voices in Local Media. Join Aoife Moore, Kathy Littler, Denise Watson and Amanda Ferguson who will discuss if and how female broadcasters and contributors can have equal representation across the Northern Irish media landscape. (11.15 to 12.15 – Upstairs Theatre)
· FunBoys – The Making of a Network Comedy - Funboys is a comedy series about three emotionally-unassembled young men in small-town Northern Ireland. Join the stars Callum (Ryan Dylan); Jordan (Rian Lennon) and Lorcan (Lee Dobbin) with producers Simon Mayhew Archer and Leah Draws as they talk to BBC NI’s Eddie Doyle. (12 to 1 - Downstairs Theatre)
· Imagining An All Island Media Landscape - This session asks some key questions for the creative industry on this Island – where are we now and where are we going? Chaired by Edelle Moss, Comisiúin na Meán with Susan Kirby, Screen Producers Ireland, Dermot Lavery, Doubleband Films and Ronan McCabe, Animation Ireland. (12.30 – 1.30 - The Factory)
· How to Find your Future Talent – Join VFX entrepreneur Phil Attfield as he highlights how Next Gen college learners in N.I. are preparing for work in the digital screen content sector. (1 to 2 – The Works)
· Cocktail Funding – The Producer’s View. Co-production is a common strategy for financing projects and accessing different funds in different territories and different currencies! Sounds great but complicated. (2 to 3 Downstairs Theatre)
· Creator Lab – Unleashing a new wave of talent- How do social media creators jump to television and how can broadcasters adapt to this new world when stars are born with the click of a button? (3.45-4.45pm - Upstairs Theatre)
· Getting Your Drama Mad - Join Ailish McElmeel as she talks to the people behind Dead and Buried, Hope Street, KIN and That They May Face The Rising Sun. (4 to 5 – Downstairs Theatre)
· The Making of ‘Teen Predator Online Killer’ with Jon Smith, Ben O’Loan and Sharon Whittaker. (5 to 6 – The Factory)
READ MORE; Final Call for Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green GROW Programme
THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2024
· Meet the Channel 4 Commissioners - Learn about C4’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and how they are actively seeking fresh voices and perspectives to bring to screen. With Jo Street and Jasper Hone from Lifestyle, Shaminder Nahal from Specialist Factual; Nevine Mabro from Current Affairs, and Andy Brereton from Comedy. (10 to 11 – Downstairs Theatre)
· The Role of Public Sector Broadcasting in an Age of Mis and Disinformation - Join Ofcom to hear insights from the latest research on mis and disinformation, and how local organisations are tackling it. (10 to 11 – The Works)
· My Journey into Telly - William Crawley talks to screenwriter Adam Patterson, BAFTA winning filmmaker Anna Hall and journalist Rory Carson about their routes into TV. (10 – 11 Upstairs Theatre)
· Meet the BBC Commissioners – Join Rob Unsworth, Head of Daytime and Early Peak Commissioning, Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and Patrick McMahon, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment. (11.45 – 12.45 – Downstairs Theatre)
· Minding Yourself - The Importance of mental health and wellbeing for cast, crew and contributors. (11.45 to 12.45 Upstairs Theatre)
· Hello U – Meet the UKTV Commissioners - Hilary Rosen, Helen Perry and TJ (Tracey Jean). (1 to 2 – the Factory)
· Anatomy of a Format – Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment, BBC joins Mike Beale Director of Global Creative and Production Support, ITV Studios and Michael Kelpie, Managing Director of Potato. (1.30-2.30 - Upstairs Theatre)
· KNEECAP – A Case Study - Rich Peppiatt, writer and director of the unlikely Irish film sensation of the year KNEECAP joins a panel discussion to ask why this particular film has struck a chord with audiences worldwide. (1.30 to 2.30 – Downstairs Theatre)
· A Creative Calling Card. Join Actor Martin McCann as he talks to a panel of recipients of Northern Ireland Screen’s New Writer and New Talent Schemes. (2.30 to 3.30 - The Factory)
· The RTS NI Dan Gilbert Lecture – BBC Director General Tim Davie in conversation with John Campbell. (3 to 4 – Downstairs Theatre)
· The TV Producer’s Guide to Podcasts -Explore how TV formats can thrive with a companion podcast (3 to 4 Upstairs Theatre)
· Artificial Intelligence and Production – Join Muslin Alin, Jason Mitchell and PJ Hart chaired by Fiona Campbell discussing how AI is impacting broadcasting today. (4.30 to 5.30 – Downstairs Theatre)
Full details of all sessions are available at https://www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk/schedule/
Please note schedule is subject to last minute changes, so always check schedule above before attending. To register for FREE for this year’s festival, go to www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk and follow the latest news about the sessions via BMF’s social handles @belfastmediafest on twitter, Instagram and facebook using hashtag #bmf2024
The BMF is grateful to the support of its long running partners BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen along with many other industry sponsors and supporters who help to ensure the event remains free for attendees including: Afro Mic Productions, Balloo, BECTU, BBC Northern Ireland, Bigger Stage, Broadcast, Bakari, Belfast Live, Armchair and Rocket, Belfast City Council, Below the Radar, Big Mountain Productions, Boost Music, Channel 4, Conker Pictures, Controvert TV, DoubleBand Films, Northern Ireland Screen, Element Pictures, Equity, Fabel productions, Gallagher Films, Hastings, Hat Trick Productions, Hindsight, HopSkip Studios, Long Story TV, Millar McCall Wylie, NI Games Dev Network, Nice One Productions, OffShoot TV, PACT, Paper Owl Films, BBC Academy/Production Unlocked, OFCOM, Screenskills, Shoot Communications, Strident, Stellify, Studio Ulster, Screen Academy, Two Cities, RTE, Rare TV, RTS NI, Queens University Belfast, Virgin Media, Waddell Media, Writer’s Guild of Great Britain, Ulster University and UKTV.
The 2024 BMF Committee comprises Northern Ireland Screen, Unscripted Content Manager Jennifer Johnston as Chair, Film Hub NI’s Sara Gunn-Smith as Vice Chair, Mary McKeagney (BBC NI), Doireann Nic Dhomhnaill (Irish Language Broadcast Fund, NI Screen)and Heidi McAlpin (Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, NI Screen); Gavin Halpin (Paper Owl Films); Mary Johnston (Doubleband Films); Vikkie Taggart (Stellify Media); Abigail Keyes (Rare TV); Caolan McKendry (Ambertail Games); Dee Harvey (Controvert TV); and Connor Richmond (Two Cities Television).
Source: Written from Press Release
